Hydraulic transmission



T. E. BROWN.

HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7. 1919.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

INVENTOR THOMAS E. BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. BROWN,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic 'lransmissions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of apparatus in which the power of a driving member is transmitted to a driven member by means of energy imparted to a liquid by the rotation of the driving member, said energy being in turn transmitted to a driven member and in which 'the liquid, after having acted on the driven member, is returned to the driving member and is circulated again and again continuously.

My copending application, Serial No. 261885, filed Nov. 9th, 1918, shows and describes means to convey the liquid discharged froin the driven member to the driving member through a central chamber with rotation in the direction of rotation of the driving member, and so return to said member the energy remaining in the liquid, and the present invention refers more particularly to the conveyance of the energized liquid from the driving member to the driven member.

In this class of apparatus high efiiciency is of the utmost importance to minimize the generation of heat, and to this end it is essential that the machine be reduced to the fewest elements by elimination of all details tending to produce friction and loss of hydraulic head, and that the actuating liquid be free to circulate with as few changes as possible from pressure to kinetic energy and vice versa, so that the heat generated Will be as little as possible and Within the capacity of simple means for conveying it away.

Heretofore it appears to have been thought that the energy passing from the driving member or driver to the driven member should be kinetic only and therefore that the outlet of the driver should be placed close up against the inlet of the driven member, with only a short annular space between but little if any longer than required for running clearance, or when this Was not done. that any intervening spacebetween the outlet of the driver and the inlet Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

Application filed April 7, 1919. Serial No. 288,161.

of the driven member should be filled with non-rotating guide vanes to guide the liquid from the driver to the driven member.

I have found that such constructions are inefficient and that higher efliciency is obtainable by conveying the centrifugal pressure, generated in the liquid by the driver, to the driven member as pressure energy without conversion to kinetic energy, While at the same time the rotational energy iinparted to the liquid is conveyed to the driven member as kinetic energy.

I accomplish this, and thereby the main objects of my invention, which are simplicity of construction, high etliciency, and avoidance of undue generation of heat, by surrounding the driver and driven member by an unobstructed open circumferential pressure chamber of comparatively large area, through Which the liquid passes from the driver to the driven member, and in which the liquid rotates freely around the axis of the machine While under centrifugal pressure, and by rotating the-Walls of the chamber at a speed equal to or in excess of the speed of the liquid I am enabled to reduce the friction of the liquid against the walls of the chamber until it is practically negligible.

Another object of my invention is to simplify the curvature of the vanes and thereby still further increase the efficiency.

Another object is to provide a construction in Which the outlet circumference of the driving vanes and the inlet circumference ofthe driven vanes may be of diflerent diameters, whereby I am enabled to obtain better efliciency at higher ratios, or on the other hand may obtain substantial torque at low ratios of driver speed to driven speed.

Another object of my invention is to still further decrease friction by balancing the end thrusts, thereby also avoiding the necessity for expansive thrust bearings.

And still another object of my invention is to provide simple means for conveying away the heat generated in the appar ti 1 The means of accomplishing these and other objects will be better understood from the description and drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1- is a side view, in partial section. of the preferred form of the machine,

Fig. 2- is an end view in partial section,

Fig. 3 is a partial isometric edge view, and Fig. 4 is a sectional diagram of a modified form.

Arrows indicate the direction of rotation, and also the direction of flow of the actuating liquid. Similar reference numbers refer to sinnlar parts in all the figures.

Referring to Fig. 1 A-A is the axis about which the machine revolves, and about arebolted, the heads 5 and 7 and rim 8 forming a liquid tight casing. On the inside of the heads 5 and 7 and circumferentially disposed around them are vanes 9 which are attached to and rotate with said heads and said rim 8, said heads 5 and-7 said rim 8 and said vanes 9; forming the driving member 11 which, for brevity, I hereinafter call the impeller. The head 7 is preferably. provided with a stuffing box 12, gland 13 and packing 14. 16 is a disk which carries the vanes 17, (preferably provided with shrouds 10) and hub 18, the Whole constituting the driven member 19, which, for brevity, I hereinafter call the runner. Said hub 18 is secured to shaft 2 in any suitable manner as by key 23.

The vanes 9 ofthe impeller and vanes 17 of the runner terminate at their inner ends at ,a

' considerable distance radially from the axis and form the vortex chamber 20, which extends preferably the full axial length of the machine between heads 5 and 7, saidv vortex chamber 20 being divided into two parts by the disk 16.

21, 21 are hubs integral with heads 5 and 7; said hubs form bearings for the inside end ofshaft 2 and are of suitable outside diameter to form with hub 18 a core to limit the inner radius of the vortex chamber. 15, 15 are spacing washers between cores 21 and hub 18, to reduce friction and maintain the runner 19 in its central position. 22 is an unobstructed or open chamber extending circumferentially entirely around the machine and formed by the rim 8, heads 5 and, 7 and the outer ends of the runner vanes 17 and impeller vanes 9 and [preferably extending the full axial length of the machine between the heads 5 and 7.

By open chamber, I mean one unobstructed by vanes and circumferentially continuous but not open to the atmosphere.

24 is a light outer jacket preferably made of sheet metal and surrounding the impeller 11. Said jacket 24 is so secured to sa d impeller 11 as to leave a space between sald jacket and said impeller, and so as to rotate with said impeller.

29 is a circumferential receiver or catcher surrounding the outer casing 24 but free from it and fixed in position and which may be supported in any suitable manner as by the floor or base of'the machine. 4

3Q is. a pipe to draw the liquid. from receiver 29.

Fig. 2- is an end view, in partial section, looking from the driven shaft end. The upper left hand quadrant isa section on line A. A. B.-Fig. 1, showing the impeller vanes 9, and the upper right hand quadrant is a section on line A. A. O.Fig. 1, showing the runner vanes 17-both quadrants show in section the circumferential open chamber 22, and the vortex chamber 20.

Fig. 2 is drawn in this way so the rotations of the members as well as the rotation of the actuating liquid which with my construction are always in the same direction will show in the same direction on the figure as indicated by the arrows.

The impeller vanes 9 preferably point at thelr inner ends z'. e.,.at the outer circumference of the vortex chamber 20, against the direction of motion and as they extend outward they curve in perpendicular planes until they become preferably radial at their outer ends. By perpendicular planes I mean planes perpendicular to the axis. The runner vanes 17 curve inwardly in perpendicular planes and terminate at the circumference of the vortex chamber 20 and pointing in the direction of motion of the machine. It should be noted that with my construction the impeller vanes 9 and runner vanes 17 may have their curvature entirely in perpendicular planes and curvature in axial planes may be entirely avoided.

The machine is filled with a proper amount of any suitable actuating liquid such as water or oil, and the pressure and momentum induced in this liquid are used to convey power from the impeller to the runner.

The operation is as follows:

When the driving shaft 1 with impeller 11 is rotated by the engine or motor, the vanes 9 set the liquid in rotary motion and a hydraulic head is created in the actuating liquidwhich causes said liquid to circulate through the machine in the direction of the arrows, see Figs. 1 and 2. The liquid passes from the impeller vanes 9 through the circumferential chamber 22 then inwardly through the runner 19 and reacts on the runner vanes 17, and sets up a torque and causes rotation of the runner and drives shaft 2.

The actuating liquid passes from the runner vanes 17 into the vortex chamber 20, which it enters in the direction of rotation of the machine at a high velocity and whirls around in said chamber, forming a vortex or whirlpool, while it traverses said cham ber axially in both directions to the vanes 9 of impeller 11 which it enters in the direction of the rotation of the machine and circulates over again as shown and described in my hereinbefore-mentioned copending application, SerialNo. 261885, filed Nov. 9th, 1918.

By reference to the arrows in Fig. 2, it will be seen that the actuating liquid in its passage through the machine always has a motion of rotation in the direction of the rotation of the machine, and never in the opposite direction, and therefore the momentum of the liquid entering the impeller assists the impeller and does not buck against the impeller and produce counter torque and consequent loss of efficiency.

The open circumferential chamber 22 is an important feature of my invention as by its use I am enabled to accomplish the principal objects of my invention. By it I am enabled, as shown in Fig. 1, to place the vanes of the impeller and the runner in different coaxial planes, and, as shown in Fig. 2, curve said vanes only in perpendicular planes, thus the construction as well as the flow of the liquid is simplified and the hydraulic frictional loss reduced;

Theuse of the circumferential chamber 22 enables the circumferential outlet of the impeller and inlet of the runner to be made of different diameters, thus the outlet of the impeller may have a smaller diameter than the inlet of the runner as shown in Fig. 1, or may have a larger diameter as shown in Fig. 1. and obviously they may be made of equal diameter when desirable.

Referring to Fig. 4, 31 is a peripheral rib or fin integral with rim 8. The fin 31 is preferably used when, as in Fig. 4, the impeller vanes are larger in diameter than the runner vanes. It may be used when desired in connection with the form shown in Fig. 1.

The value of this diflerence of diameter or radius of the impeller and runner vanes lies in the fact that the torque of the runner is partially a function of the difference of the peripheral speeds of the impeller and runner vanes, and thus when the runner vanes are larger in outside diameter than the impeller vanes asshown in Fig. 1, a given difference of peripheral speed is obtained with a less relative number of revolutions of the runner than when the said vanes are of the same diameter. The converse is also true, and by using runner vanes of smaller diameter as shown in Fig. 4: substantial torque may be obtained even when the impeller and runner rotate at the same revolutions per minute.

The principal value of the circumferential chamber 22 is in the transfer of the energy from impeller to runner with the least frictional loss, for the rotation of the runner sets up a centrifugal counter head or pressure similar to the counter E. M. F.

set up in an electric motor, and this counter head or pressure .must be overcome by similar pressure set up in the impeller by its rotation, and the chamber 22 permits of the transmission of this pressure directly to the 1 runner without loss by conversion to kinetic energy. Also the rotational or kinetic energy imparted to the liquid by the impeller is transferred to the runner with but little if any loss, for as indicated by the figures, the outer Walls of said chamber rotate with a speed normally greater than the rotational speed of the liquid and hence any friction between said liquid and said walls tends to add to and not to reduce the kinetic energy in said liquid.

It will be evident from the drawings that all passages and spaces occupied by the actuating liquid are symmetrically disposed with reference to the central perpendicular plane, therefore the axial thrusts produced by the actuating liquid are equal in both axial directions and hence are balanced and therefore friction is reduced and. the use of expensive thrust bearings avoided.

The cooling features of my invention are simple and easily understood from the drawings. The casing 5, 7, 8 being in rotation and with it the jacket 24.- a cooling liquid, preferably water, is admitted by the pipes 28 to the inlets 27. Said liquid is set in rotation by the centrifugal vanes 25 and fills the space between jacket 24 and casing 5, 7 8. The induced centrifugal pressure causes said liquid to escape through the peripheral openings 26, and it is caught in the stationary receiver 29 from which it mav be conveyed away by pipe 30.

Thus a flow of liquid occurs over the surface of the casing 5, 7 8, which carries away the heat generated in the apparatus. With small powers the heat generated will be pro- 24 may be omitted and suficient cooling offeet be obtained by the rapid rotation of the apparatus in the air.

it should be noted that the machine, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4;, may be transposed, a". a, power may be applied to rotate shaft 2, in which case the runner 19 becomes the "impeller and easing 5, 7, 8, with vanes 9 becomes the rurmer. In this case, to obtain the best effect, thecurvatures of the vanes should also be transposed. I

Also it is obvious that the vanes at one or the other end of the impeller may be omitted if desired.

It should be specially noted that with my construction the actuating liquid is ejected from the impeller in perpendicular planes in an outward direction and that said liquid" 'is received by the runner in other perpen vanes, a casing inclosing said vanes and said runner and an open chamber, formed by said casing, circumferentially surround- I in}; said vanes and said runner.

2. The combination in a hydraullc trans mission of an impeller having vanes at each end, a runner centrally placed between sa1d vanes and a casing inclosm said vanes and said runner and rotatable Wlth said impeller vanes.

3. The comb' tion in a hydraulic transmission of an impeller having vanes at each end, a runner centrally placed between said vanes, a rotatable casing inclosing said vanes and said runner and an open chamber, formed by said casing, circumferentially surrounding said" vanes and said runner.

4. The combination in a hydraulic transmission of heads forming the axial ends of said transmission, vanes on said heads, a runner centrally placed between said vanes,

and a peripheral rim connecting said heads and forming an open chamber surrounding said vanes and said runner.

5. The combination in ahydraulic transmission of heads forming the axial ends of said transmissiomyanes on said heads, a

runner centrally placed between said vanes,

'a peripheral rim connecting said heads and forming an open circumferential chamber surrounding said vanes and sa1d runner and .a central vortex chamber extending axially between said heads.

6. In a'hydraulic transmission, a driving anemone member and a; driven member, one of said members having vanes at each end, said vanes disposed coaxially, the other of said members centrally placed between said vanes, a casing inclosmg said members and iaid casing rotatable with one of said memers. v v

7. In a hydraulic transmission, the combination of an impeller,-a runner, an actuating liquid, a peripheral rim rotatlng with said transmission, and an open circumferential chamber, formed by said rim, and through which said liquid-travels from said impeller to said runner.

8. In a hydraulic transmission, an impeller, a runner, an actuating liquid, a pcripheral rim rotating with said transmission, an open circumferential chamber, formed by said rim, and a central vortex chamber through which said liquid travels from said runner to'said impeller.

9. In a hydraulic transmission an impeller having vanes at, each end, a runner centrally placed between said vanes, a pcripheral rim forming a circumferential chamber surrounding said vanes and said runner and a central fin on said rim dividing said chamber into twocoaxial parts.

10. The combination with a hydraulic transmission of a rotatable jacket surrounding said transmission and spaced therefrom, centrifugal vanes inside said jacket forming passages for the flow of a fluid over the surface of said transmission, and openings in the periphery of said jacket for the discharge of said fluid.

; 11. The combination .with a hydraulic transmission of a rotatable jacket surrounding said transmission and spaced therefrom centrifugal vanes inside said jacket forming passages for the flow of a fluid over the surface of said transmission, openin s in the periphery of said jacket for the discharge of said fiuid and annular inlets in the ends of said jacket for the admission of said fluid.

12. The combination with a hydrauhc transmission of a rotatable jacket surrounding said transmission and spaced therefrom, centrifugal vanes inside said jacket-forming passages for the flow of a liquid over the surface of said transmission, openings in the periphery of said jacket for the discharge of said liquid, inlets in the ends of sa1d jacket for the admission of said liquid, and a non-rotating circumferential receiver for the discharged liquid.

13. In a hydraulic transmission, rotatable about an axis, an impeller, a runner, an actuating liquid, vanes on said impeller and vanes on said runner, said impeller vanes and said runner vanes disposed coaxially and having curvature only In planes perpendicular to said axis, a circumferential passage for said liquid from said impeller vanes ripheral means rotating with said transmission adapted to change the outward motion of said liquid to an inward motion.

15. In a hydraulic transmission containing an actuating liquid, an impeller adapted to discharge said liquid outwardly in perpendicular planes, a runner adapted to receive said liquid inwardly in perpendicular planes and an open circumferential chamber adapted to change the outward motion of said liquid to an inward motion;

16. In a hydraulic transmission, an impeller and a runner, sets of vanes on said impeller and a set of vanes on said runner;

said sets disposed coaxially and of unequal diameter and a circumferential chamber r0- tatin with said transmission and adapted for t e.passage of an actuating liquid between said sets of vanes.

17. The combination with a hydraulictransmission of ,a jacket surroundin said transmission, a space between said Jacket and said transmission and means to induce a flow of fluid through said space to cool said transmission.

18. The combination in a hydraulic transmission of an impeller, a runner, a central vortex chamber, a disk dividing said chamber. into two parts, an actuating liquid and means to guide said liquid into said parts and in the direction of rotation of said transmission.

19. The combination in a hydraulic transmission of an impeller having vanes at both ends, a runner centrally'placed between said vanes, a disk on said runner,a central chamber divided into two parts by said disk, an actuating liquid and means to guide said liquid in said parts and in the direction of rotation of said transmission.

20. The combination in a hydraulic transmission of a driving member, and a driven member, one of said members having vanes at each end, said vanes disposed coaxially, the other of said members centrally placed between saidvanes, a casing inclosing said members and an open circumferential chamberformed by said casing.

21. Incombinati'on with a hydraulic transmission, a stationary receiver surrounding said transmission and adapted to receive cooling liquid from the surface of said transmission. 4

22. The combination with a. hydraulic transmission of a jacket surrounding said transmission, a space between said jacket and said transmission and centrifugal vanes to induce a flow of cooling fluid through said space.

THOMAS E. BROWN. 

